Looking at a transcription of a record and the actual image are vastly different. There is simply no telling what information may be missed by extracting details from a document.

As an example, I most recently found the image of the 1892 Virginia marriage record of my Harrison/Hunt ancestors.

Samuel and Louisa were my maternal 3rd great-grandparents. While the transcription of their 1892 marriage record has been viewed before, this image that I recently located on FamilySearch presents new information and questions.

Just who is this Samuel Geddings/Giddings person whose name is listed under the Remarks column? He very well may have been a witness for the marriage. Was he a friend/acquaintance or family?

The first place I look is Ancestry.com to find a family tree profile for one Samuel Geddings of Norfolk, Virginia.

While Samuel Giddings Jr. could theoretically be a candidate for being the witness at Samuel and Louisa’s 1892 wedding, my money is on Sr. being the man of day.

The Geddings/Giddings/Giddens/Giddins family was from Northampton County, Virginia.

Comfort Giddings, Samuel Sr.’s mother, was born about 1788 in Northampton, Virginia. Comfort was one of the five children (along with their mother, Sarah) emancipated (after the children reached the age of twenty-five) in a deed made by John Giddens II (1737-1797).

Ok, this is Samuel’s family. Is it possible that Samuel’s family ties into my Harrison line in some way? Was Samuel being a legal witness for one of his family members?

Time to check DNA matches.

BINGO

Wow! From these matches, it is clear that my family has, at the very least, a maternal genetic connection to the Giddingses of Northampton County, Virginia. This DNA tie seemingly paper trails genealogically to the Harrisons/Hunts.

The 1892 image of the marriage record of Samuel H. Harrison and Louisa Hunt has been monumental in this finding.

If you have the opportunity, please look at the original image of your genealogical/historical records, in addition to the transcription. The tiniest detail can open new family history doors.

These discoveries are pretty recent, so I have yet to pore over the facts and possible connections to my known Harrison family. As, I look more closely, I will certainly be updating here with the latest information.

This is our situation.

The Genealogy Situation Room